Partnership between FedEx and Environmental Defence Fund - Dissertation Example

Presently the governmental sector and the NGOs have realised the potential significance of incorporating businesses within the worldwide process of growth and development. Businesses with the capability and necessary funding to affect stakeholders positively may not be well adapted to the requirements necessary to maintain corporate social responsibility. It has been observed that often business firms aiming at being socially more responsible, lack adequate training and knowledge to implement various developmental plan and program.

On the other hand, the various NGOs that are adept at carrying out developmental programs globally, lack funds (owing to persistently decreasing governmental support from the public funds in context of the recent economic crisis) and other resources to implement effectively their projects on a long-term basis (Bobenrieth and Stibbe, 2010). Owing to these requirements as observed in both the entities that have led to increasing instances of co-operation between the profit and non-profit making sectors, that often move “beyond basic philanthropy to ‘win-win’ partnerships… [and generate] strong business, social and environmental benefits” (ibid, 1).

Further accelerated by worldwide economic crisis, the trend amongst the NGOs and the corporates to work in collaboration and achieve sustainable social development, is fast turning into a reality in many nations. Many of the international institutions that work in social and economic development and fund raising activities have acknowledged the significance of cooperation between the two entities for sustainable and effective global development. Agenda 21, a 1992 UN action plan for sustainable development, first created the framework for institutionalising governing processes in the form of collaborative arrangements (Glasbergen, 2007, 1-25).

Later in December 2005, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution known as “Toward Global Partnerships,” where collaboration between corporates and NGOs are shown as significant for a nation’s development and poverty removal. This resolution noted that “in regard to developing partnerships through the provision of greater opportunities to the private sector, non-governmental organizations and civil society in general so as to enable them to contribute to…the pursuit of development and the eradication of poverty”(UN General Assembly Resolution 62/211, Toward Global Partnerships, 2005).

Therefore, it is quite evident that there is an increasing importance being attached to such collaborative activities for the general social welfare, worldwide. Although there are many principle/ethical based functional differences between a NGO and a corporate house, in the modern context, it is important for such partnerships to exist, for three primary reasons. The first reason is the fast-paced globalisation and modern innovative technology have resulted in a better-connected world; however due to the same globalisation now local problems have also acquired a global face and become